Meet my new friend, Courtney (second from the right above). She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2006. She is one of my Team Challenge teammates. I asked her to share her story with all of you.

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in August 2006. I didn’t think too much of it at the time. What most concerned me was that my doctor said many people have to learn to make dietary changes, and he mentioned cheese as something some patients had to limit. I was appalled – “You mean even like cheese on tacos?!?” was my reply. I clearly had no clue what I was in for.

I maintained on my medications relatively symptom free until January 2008. Right at the start of spring semester, I went through a very serious flare up that eventually landed me in the hospital. I opted to go to a hospital in Kenosha near my family and the GI doctor I had been seeing. I was in the hospital for 10 days, and left in even worse condition having contracted a C Difficile infection on top of the UC flare. I saw my doctor a few times on an outpatient basis and he insisted I was getting better but it would be a “long road.” He was wrong.

At this point, I was barely able to walk (partially due to abdominal pain and partially due to my enormously swollen feet and ankles from the prednisone). I was taking around 25 different pills a day,
and I had dropped from a healthy 130 to 103 pounds. I had been unable to attend school or work for over a month. My father was getting frustrated and urged me to get a second opinion. He brought me
to Froedtert.

I will never forget the look on the GI doctor’s face when he saw me. He went completely white. I didn’t
see him again because when I came back from my X-Ray I was greeted by the surgical team. It was the
scariest moment of my life. Everyone who has UC knows that surgery is a possibility (and everyone who
has UC also knows this means ostomy, perhaps the scariest word in the English vocabulary to a 23 year
old female). I began to cry.

Little did I know, this doctor who was making me so angry was really just trying to save my life. He told
me I had toxic megacolon, and I needed emergency surgery to remove my colon. However, they needed
to get me hydrated and give me a blood transfusion before they could do the surgery, otherwise they
weren’t sure if I would make it. They scheduled me for the 8am slot the next day. Nobody wanted to
tell me at that point, but I was basically knocking on death’s door – had I waited much longer my colon
would have eventually burst and fatality was a real danger. I found out afterwards that I may have been
in the worst condition anyone there had ever seen.

Surgery for me gave me a new life. Yes, it was a long tough road, but I felt immediately better. Adjusting to life with an ostomy was hard at first (mentally and physically). Because I had been in particularly horrible condition, the construction of my jpouch had to be broken up into three surgeries over a 9 month period. I also tended to be a patient plagued with unexpected complications. Even today, I have to be on maintenance medications to treat recurrent pouchitis which my doctors think may be a by-product of the C Diff infections.

However, the ordeal has made me stronger. I am proud to say that even though the most difficult part of my illness occurred while I was in school I was able to stay on track with my program and graduate with my Master’s degree in Educational Psychology in May 2009. Despite small adjustments you have to make for living with a jpouch and pesky pouchitis flares (which, honestly, you may as well just have ulcerative colitis), I feel like myself again. I still have challenging days here and there, and I never know what the future will bring but, given all I’ve already been through, I do feel like I can handle just about anything. For me, this ½ marathon is extremely personal, and will make me feel like I have finally conquered the disease that kept me down for so long.

What is a j-pouch you ask?

A j-pouch is a surgical procedure that eliminates the need for an ostomy (external pouch) for patients
who’ve had their colon removed due to ulcerative colitis. When the colon is removed, the rectum is also
taken out because it is typically diseased as well. The surgeon then constructs a new “rectum” out of
the patient’s small intestine.

The surgery can be performed in two or three steps, depending on the health of the patient, and a
temporary ileostomy is necessary until the new plumbing is healed enough to operate. After the
operation, “j-pouchers” are able to pass stool through the *ehem*” usual route,” but because they lack
a colon, they have to use the restroom much more frequently than other people. In addition, there are
new dietary restrictions – generally, people with a j-pouch would want to avoid veggies and other high
fiber food as they take longer to digest, and well…. Let’s face it, we just don’t have as long as the rest of
you ;).

If Courtney can train to run a half marathon after all she’s been through, I can run a half marathon, too. Hell, we can ALL help out by giving generously.

Please help me raise $1283 in the next 9 days. Visit http://tinyurl.com/vegas10 to make your tax-deductible donation today. Can you spare $10?

I’m begging now…

I need your help. As you know, I am training for a half marathon (48 days!!!!) to raise money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

I’m asking for your help, both financially and in spreading the word. I know my e-mails/blogs/tweets/facebook/dailymile messages are out of control, but I’m totally freaking out. I have to raise $2520 and the clock is ticking down.

Currently, we have raised $1,073.39. I have 13 days to raise $1446.61 in order to meet my goal of raising $2520 by the end of October.That means I need to raise an average of $111.28 EACH DAY for the next 13 days.

What’s in it for me?

From now until Oct. 31 at 11:59 p.m., I will do one crunch for EVERY DOLLAR DONATED. Yep, you heard me right. Donate $1 and I’ll do one crunch. Donate $5, and I’ll do 5. Donate $13.1, and I’ll do 13ish. Donate $25 and I’ll do 25. You get the idea (and the answer is YES. If you donate $1446.61 I will do 1446ish crunches. My sister will verify. Hell, if you donate $1446.61, I’ll live stream it).

For every $25 you donate, you’ll be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to the store/restaurant of your choice.

What’s the big deal with Crohn’s and Colitis?

They’re quite literally shitty diseases.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are collectively known as inflammatory bowel diseases. Crohn’s disease is a chronic (ongoing) disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Although it can involve any area of the GI tract, it most commonly affects the small intestine and/or colon. Ulcerative colitis on the other hand, affects only the colon. The inflammation involves the entire rectum and extends up the colon in a continuous manner. There are no areas of normal intestine between the areas of diseased intestine. In contrast, such so-called “skip” areas may occur in Crohn’s disease. Ulcerative colitis affects only the innermost lining of the colon, whereas Crohn’s disease can affect the entire thickness of the bowel wall.

I have three family members with either one or both of these diseases. When I was 20 years old, I had a colonoscopy because my doctors thought I, too, had Ulcerative Colitis. There is a strong possibility I could be diagnosed with the disease in the next 15 years (most people are diagnosed in their 30s). I already have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and am scared of the possibility of developing this crappy disease. I hope that if I am every diagnosed, there is already acure in place because I’ve seen first-hand how difficult it is to live with. And let’s be honest, I don’t want to have a raw ass for the rest of my life because of constant diarrhea.

Team Challenge of Wisconsin presents a special screening of Spirit of the Marathon, “The first film to capture the story, drama and ultimate essence of the legendary 26.2 mile running event. As six unique stories unfold, each runner prepares for and ultimately faces the challenge of the Chicago Marathon. More than a sports movie, Spirit of the Marathon is an inspirational journey of perseverance and personal triumph; a spectacle that will be embraced by runners and non-runners alike.”

What:Spirit of the Marathon movie fundraiserWhen: Saturday, October 16th at noonWhere: Times Cinema, 5906 W. Vliet Street in Milwaukee [Google] [mapquest]Tickets: $20 in advance or $25 at the door (includes movie, soda and popcorn, save $3 if you choose no snacks option)

If you can’t join us but want to support the cause, choose the “I’ll be there in Spirit” ticket option.

Team Challenge of Wisconsin presents a special screening of Spirit of the Marathon, “The first film to capture the story, drama and ultimate essence of the legendary 26.2 mile running event. As six unique stories unfold, each runner prepares for and ultimately faces the challenge of the Chicago Marathon. More than a sports movie, Spirit of the Marathon is an inspirational journey of perseverance and personal triumph; a spectacle that will be embraced by runners and non-runners alike.”

Had another great Team Challenge mid-week group run tonight. For the first quarter mile, Jodi and I stuck with Rochelle, Karla and Kevin… but after 5 minutes, we dropped back (they were going between 10:30-12min pace and that was pushing it for me for extended periods of time).

Jodi and I alternated running a quarter mile and walking a quarter mile for the first mile. Our split was 15:20ish. Unfortunately, this is where things went down hill for me.

You see, today I had time to make another batch of homemade tomato sauce with goodies from my garden. I spent more than 2 hours making the amazing sauce (fresh tomatoes, red pepper, garlic, onion, basil, italian sausage… shall I go on?) and couldn’t resist having some for dinner before the group run.

Note to self: NEVER EVER EAT A BIG MEAL BEFORE A RUN, NO MATTER HOW HUNGRY YOU ARE.

During the first mile my stomach started gurgling and its contents sloshed about.

By the 1.25 mi mark I told Jodi to go on without me. I wasn’t gonna be able to keep running. I thought I was going to puke.

About mile 1.6 (just about a tenth of a mile from the Lake Park Bistro stairs), I had a different kind of tummy rumble. You know, the I-don’t-have-to-puke-I-have-to -oh-crap-get-to-a-bathroom tummy rumble. I started running and was honestly worried I would either puke or shit my pants. Or both.

I made it that last tenth of a mile. But then I had the stairs. Those were brutal.

I’m sure you’ve seen some of the pictures of me with electric blue bangs. That was a clip-on hair piece (obviously fake).

You also know I’m a little crazy.

You probably know that I am determined to help find a cure for Crohn’s and Colitis.

I also have a hard time turning down a good challenge.

If y’all help me reach my goal of raising $2500 by the Team Challenge recommitment date of October 18, I will have permanent streaks of blue and orange dyed in my hair. Think highlights, only blue and orange. I will do this in November, a couple of weeks before the race. That means I’ll have blue and orange hair on Thanksgiving. And, it’ll still be there for Christmas, so you know my mother will be thrilled about that. Let’s also consider that I have red hair. Red hair is going to be hilarious with orange and blue streaks. Think about it.

October 18 is 63 days away. That means I have to raise $36.30 every day between now and then. If 3-4 people donate $10 each day, we’ll get there in no time. The reason why I really want to reach my own fundraising goal by October 18 is so I can spend the rest of the season helping my teammates reach their fundraising goals. As a mentor, I have “mentees,” many who have never done something like this before. I want to make sure each and every one of them gets to Vegas. Last season, I surpassed my goals fundraising-wise and was able to help out some teammates getting closer to their goals.

Can you spare $10, or can you spread the word to all your friends and family? Let’s leave the craps in Vegas!

If you could, I would appreciate if you visit my fundraising page (http://tinyurl.com/vegas10) and consider making a donation of $26.20 or whatever you are able to contribute. If 100 people donate just $25, we’ll hit my goal in no time!

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”– John Bingham

It started out like any normal Sunday. Well, any normal Sunday where you get up at 4 a.m. to get ready and catch a bus at 5 a.m. to your first half marathon. You know, the usual. My first half marathon experience was nothing short of amazing. God spoke to me through Freddy Mercury, I never stopped to use the bathroom, I ran about 3 miles, I kept smiling and joking throughout and got to see almost every single teammate along the way. I am so grateful for this experience.

Me and Coach Anne – the cool kids in the back of the bus.

Team Challenge Wisconsin met for one last team cheer before the walkers nervously boarded our fancy bus to Napa. I was a ball of nerves. Yes, I’m smiling in the photos above, but my stomach was in knots. What had I done? Did I really sign up for this? What the hell was I thinking? Who in their right mind – at 249 lbs – would do a half marathon? I mean, really…